An electric heater for a clothes dryer is disclosed in the Canadian Patent 2308763. The known electric heater has a coil-shaped, i.e. helically wound, heating wire, which is mounted on a support structure. Although such electric heaters with coil-shaped heating wires are commonly used in clothes dryers, such heaters have disadvantages. In order to provide sufficient heating power, i.e. of more than 5 kW, rather large heaters are necessary. A further disadvantage is that increased air flow through coil-shaped heating wires may cause them to vibrate and thus create annoying noise. Coil-shaped heating wires tend to sag, collect fluff and their breaking may cause shorts.
There is a need to provide a compact heater for a clothes dryer, which can be cost efficiently manufactured and has a reduced tendency of the heating wire to vibrate.